(1) Our Daily Devotion

We are midway through the fourth month of the year of grace 2018. How is your daily devotional life? Is it consistent? Are you drawing strength from the meditation of God’s Word through prayer for your daily needs? My encouragement for you is to persevere on! Since 1 January 2018, we have started the devotional study on the Book of Proverbs by Denis Gibson, “God for the Life that Wins!” with the scripture text for our encouragement to persevere, “…Let us run the race with patience… Looking unto Jesus…” (Hebrews 12:1-2). This is painstakingly put together for your edification. It can be found in the church website under “Devotions” https://www.blessedhope.sg/category/devotions/ . It is made available in the mobile church app under “Devotions”. It is also updated on the church’s Facebook page. Do avail yourself. The hardcopy book is also available upon request.

Today’s devotion is entitled “Folly’s Fate!” taken from Proverbs 9:13-18, Eph. 2:1-10 and 2 Pet. 3:1-7 “Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret [sins]” (Ps. 19:12).

Hymns: RHC 416 Wherever He Leads I’ll God, RHC 418 O Jesus I Have Promised, RHC 567 Follow Me

Hebrews 11:24-26 (KJV)

24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; 25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

Moses’ Faith

OUTLINE

(1) Faith’s Humbling Choice/Sanctified Choice

(2) Faith’s Heavenly Reward/True Riches

Proverbs 3:27-30 (KJV)
27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
28 Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.
29 Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.
30 Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.

(1) Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee

A Light from the Dark Ages

Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) is considered the greatest of medieval saints. Martin Luther, himself a monk, wrote of him, “He was the best monk that ever lived, whom I admire beyond all the rest put together.” Born into a noble family in France, he turned his back on wealth and nobility to live as a monk and to advance the life of holiness, discipline, prayer, and ministering to the physical and spiritual needs of the people.

He and his followers hewed a home out of a wilderness of forests, a desolate haunt of robbers. The order he founded became the chief religious power in western Europe for three hundred years. Bernard’s writings and poetry became his lasting legacy to the church. His fruitful contemplation of eighty-six sermons on the first two chapters of the Song of Songs is a classic of biblical exposition.

Hymns: RHC 355 Day by Day Faith, 311 Does Jesus Care?, 336 Only Believe

Hebrews 11:23 (KJV)

23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.

Moses’ Parents’ Faith

OUTLINE

Faith’s Wisdom
Faith’s Courage

Luke 24:1-12 (KJV)
1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
8 And they remembered his words,
9 And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.
10 It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.
11 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.
12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.

Isaiah 53:4-8 (KJV)

4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.